AMES – Iowa State returned home Tuesday for a doubleheader against Southeast Missouri State (SEMO) and recorded two convincing wins. 

The Cyclones carried their momentum from an upset win over No. 3 Oklahoma State Sunday into both games Tuesday. The Iowa State lineup totalled 18 hits during the 10 innings of play. 

Iowa State currently holds a 16-25 record, nine games below the .500 mark. Iowa State now holds a three-game win streak for the first time since March 11. 

“They’ve gone through the peaks and valleys,” Iowa State head coach Jamie Pinkerton said. “But they’ve never gotten to the point where they’ve given up.”

SEMO was held to no runs in each game Tuesday. Iowa State recorded its fourth and fifth shutouts of the year. The Redhawks entered the game with a 10-game winning streak. They are on top of the standings in the Ohio Valley conference. 

Iowa State topped SEMO 12-0 in game one and 4-0 in game two. 

In the first game, Iowa State tallied 12 hits while taking advantage of free bases from the SEMO pitching staff. SEMO starting pitcher Marisa Davis hit three Iowa State batters with pitches in the first inning. Iowa State capitalized for one run, but two Cyclones were left on base. 

In the second, Iowa State took advantage of three more free bases. Iowa State reached by hit-by-pitch twice and once by walk. A single, double and groundout by the Iowa State lineup brought in three runs in the second. 

“They got into hitters counts and stayed within themselves,” Pinkerton said. “They weren’t having tense at-bats. They seemed to be relaxed.”

Iowa State continued to fire on all cylinders in the batter’s box. The third inning saw two singles and back-to-back doubles by Camille Marin and Milaysia Ochoa. Three more runs came across the plate for Iowa State in the third inning. 

In the fourth and final inning of offense for Iowa State another pair of doubles helped the Cyclones reach the ten-run mercy rule. Marin added her second double of the day in the fourth while Alesia Ranches doubled to left. 

Marin achieved a new career high with three RBIs in game one of Tuesday’s doubleheader.

Starting pitcher Karlie Charles took advantage of her run support by achieving a complete-game shutout of the Redhawks. Charles struck out six and allowed two hits during her five innings of work. 

The Iowa State offense cooled down but remained in control in game two. Ochoa’s lead-off single led to Iowa State’s first run of the game, and the Cyclones never surrendered the lead. 

Ochoa scored after a SEMO throwing error, then Iowa State scored again when freshman Tatum Johnson launched her first career home run over the fence in right field. 

Two runs came across in the fourth inning as Makaylin Powers and Olivia Wardlow tallied RBIs off the bench. The Iowa State substitutes improved the Iowa State lead to 4-0. 

Iowa State’s wins were powered, in part, by the morale-boosting win over the Cowgirls on the road, according to Pinkerton. The team was tired, Pinkerton said, at its 3 a.m. arrival in Ames after the 11-inning contest, but spirits were high.

For Ranches, the win provided validation. 

“We’ve always talked about getting to that door and not being able to walk through that door,” Ranches said. “That win gave us clarity. We’re finally the team we actually are.”

Iowa State will face Colorado State next for another slate of games outside the Big 12 conference. The four-game series takes place Friday and Saturday with two doubleheaders.